- Danny Ainge gave a first-person account of Larry Bird vs. Dr. J dustup
- The former Celtics GM had his own favorite trash-talk story about Larry Legend
- Ainge had a tough starting five
Former Boston Celtics star Danny Ainge revealed how the infamous Brawl began between Larry Bird and Julius Erving.
The former Celtics GM discussed the brawl between the two iconic players during a Celtics vs. Sixers game in 1984 on the Knuckleheads podcast.
“He usually didn’t trash talk to Magic [Johnson], Dr. J [Erving], he just had so much respect for them, but I remember the big fight between him and Dr. J, with Moses, and we’re holding him back, and Dr. J was swinging. It was so uncharacteristic of Dr. J, he’s the nicest guy in the world.”
He added:
“Larry had scored like 35 on him, it was the third quarter and he was jogging down back the court, he looked at him and said, ‘Man, you need to retire!’ And it was just like Dr. J lost his mind, and that’s where that story had started.”
[Starts 1:21:40 onwards]
The skirmish will surely go down as one of the most brutal in NBA history with both players getting into it. Both Erving and Bird recounted the incident:
“I felt like he was going to hit me. So my hands went up and his hands went up, and the next thing I know, we had each other’s necks.”
This came after Bird had dominated the game against the Sixers. “I was up 38 to 6. That’s how I summarize it. I don’t want to get into the details but I wasn’t happy with the way things were going on,” the Boston star said.
Larry Legend had scored 42 points with 7 rebounds in just the first 30 minutes of the game, while Erving was way at the back with 6 points. Their tussle resulted in both players getting ejected. And in the end, the Celtics walked away with a 130-119 win.
One of the referees, Dick Bavetta, who was officiating the game, gave more insight into their pummeling episode.
“As every shot went in that Larry took, he went further back, and he kept on saying to Erving, ‘Aren’t you gonna guard me?’,” Bavetta explained in an interview with the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Finally it got too much, and I see them choking each other, and a melee ensues. I learned from my brother Joe that if you can’t stop something before it starts, step back and take license plate numbers. So I just stepped back and watched what was going on. And in doing so, I informed [the scorer’s table] that Bird and Erving were gone.”
It goes without saying that Bird was one of the most legendary trash-talkers of all time, and such was the impact of his words that even someone as composed as Erving lost his cool, making for one of the murkiest and infamous fights in the league’s history.
Danny Ainge Narrates His Favorite Larry Bird Trash-Talk Story
While Ainge did give a first-person account of the Bird vs. Erving battle, he did add that he added his favorite Larry Bird trash-talking story.
“When they trash talk coaches, like when he trash talks to Hubie Brown, and you know they’re playing in Madison Square Garden, and he’s just taking the ball out of bounds in front of their bench, so the whole bench can see him.”
He added:
“He’ll be like, ‘Is this all you got for me tonight? You got no one else who can guard me? This is getting ridiculous.’ And then Hubie would put in like Johnny Newman, to which Larry goes, ‘Wait, are you serious? That’s the guy you’re putting on me?'”
This just speaks volumes about Bird as a character on the floor. In addition to his skill set, he had a way of getting into his opponents’ heads — a trait that served him and the team well.
You know he was one of the best trash-talkers in the business when even the likes of Michael Jordan complimented him for his ruthless gab.
“Larry Bird is the greatest trash talker and mind-game player of all time,” Jordan said. “He taught me everything I know about getting in folks’ heads.”
Ainge’s story further cements that case for Bird.
Danny Ainge Names His All-Time Starting Five
The same segment also saw a nowadays podcast staple where the guest would name his all-time starting five. And for Ainge, that was a tough call to make.
“It would be hard for me to not pick four of my Celtics teammates. Dennis Johnson, Chief [Robert Parrish], Kevin [McHale], and Larry [Bird]. Barkley belongs in there. Drexler, was runner-up MVP the year we played against Michael [Jordan] in the Finals that year. Terry Porter, Dan Majerle… like I’ve had a lot of great teammates.”
It’s understandable since Ainge played with some of the best players in the league over the course of his career. In his 14 seasons in the league, he played with some fine names in Charles Barkley and Clyde Drexler — both of whom have had incredible records in the NBA.
The fifth spot in Ainge’s list is definitely a race between Barkley, Drexler, and perhaps even Porter and Majerle. Quite simply, that is one list that could dominate any opposition in their way.
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